darche



A. DABCHE.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.4, 1919.

1,411 3, 1 59. Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

A. A. A. DARCHE. RESILIENT WHEEL- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1919.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig. 4

1a 39 as j I 40/ Y 2 l 9 I I E d6 *1 an M 28 y 6 1a 8 I?" I 7/ ii'gfi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT ALEXANDRE AUGUSTIN DARCHE, OF ALGER, FRANCE.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

of which the following is a specification. The invention relates to resilient wheels its object being to provide powerful internal pneumatic shock absorbing means.

The pneumatic cover owing to its liability to puncture and burst gives much annoyance and is costly for the mileage obtained.

Detachable rims, detachable wheels and so on have been proposed with a view of overcoming the drawbacks; it has even been tried to replace it by spring or elastic wheels but none of these have been successful being incapable of absorbing the accelerations produced in all directions. These accelerations are a big consideration at higher speeds and would keep the vehicle in constant state of vibration thereby provoking the molecular crystallization and the disaggregation of allthe parts of the vehicle.

Therefore, there is no system which gives the power and flexibility, the regularity of compression and release, facility of graduation. resistance to wear and the reduced weight of a gas compressed in a circular chamber. of supple and resisting material.

It is necessary to avoid vibrations between the rim and the road and the pneumatic tire appears to have to be in the dangerous neighborhood of the latter. It is my opinion that this is a wrong application for it would not appear essential that the accelerations produced should be absorbed by the rim itself. the main thing being that they should be absorbed before affecting the hub.

l n placing an ordinary pneumatic tire of reduced diameter between the rim and the hub of a wheel in order to have both carried along together, important difliculties must be overcome which require a complicated arrangement of the various parts.

An absorber designed on rational line's between the rim and the hub of the wheel should therefore meet the three following requirements (a) Give a simultaneous rotation of the wheel hub and rim at the same angular speed particularly at the starting'up and braking, A

(b') Absorb the trans'versal accelerations at'the same time correctly resisting the action of the centrifugal force in curves.

(0') Absorb vertical accelerations.

Specificationof Letters'Patent. i

Patented Apr. 18. 1922.

Application filed leptembcr 4, 1919. Serial No. 321,638.

The last two results can only be obtained with a powerful shock absorber owing to the inevitable increase in the weight displaced. To reduce the latter, the shock absorber should be as near as possible to the rim whilenevertheless being protected from any damage.

A resilient wheel produced on these lines should not be of excessive weight and would need no special upkeep.

The arrangement according to the present invention gives a resilient coupling of the rim with an independent hub, connecting them by two rubber and canvas or like crowns which are terminated at each edge by a fixing bead and which are symmetrical in relation to a median plane.

The crown members render the wheel rim, in the direction of rotation, in one with an auxiliary concentric rim fitted to the hub by means of spokes. The external and auxiliary rims are provided with attachment in which engage and are held the beads on the crown members, this assemblage giving to the rim. in respect to the hub, independent dis lacement,' in the vertical, transverse, longitudinal or angular directions.

Between the two crown members is disposed an air inflated inner tube. The Whole. a'lter inflation, constitutes an internal shock absorber.

All. transversal, vertical, oblique or longi tudinal displacement of the rim produces on the crown members not only a partial deformation but a complete deformation. Consequently, the reduction in the volume of air and the consecutive increase of the internal pressure, take an appreciable value for a slight displacement of the rim.

The reaction of the shock absorber is equally distributed instead of being merely local as in. thepneumatic tire.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is transverse vertical section of .rueted according to this inven- Figs. 3, 5 and 6' are detail views of various rim 3 and the auxiliary" rim 4:- which latter spaces or recesses 11 provided in the beads 2. 2 otE-the crowns 1, 1. In order topress the beans 2, 3 in their housings, a circular piece 12 is interposed between them and on which presses the inner tube 9 when inflated.

This piece also has the advantage of din'iinishinp; the total volume of air of the absorber. The heel 2 is held upon the auxiliary rim 4-. by'the hook 8. The head 2 is held by acheelr 13 protecting the crown 1? and giving along its entire radial width, an opening the width of which can be varied by means of two members 14, 15; these parts carry screw threaded nipples 16, 17 one at the right and one at the lett side; on these nipples 1'6. 17 is disposed a union with right and left hand threads which can cause the ll'lGll'ilfll'S let. 15 to approach each other or move further apart and hence diminish or in crease the radial distance of the cheek. This cheelr'is engaged without difiiculty upon the rim -lthe diameter of which is slightly smaller. the cheek tending to tighten it strongly the more the parts 14, 15 are drawn together. Constrained on the other hand to slide on the ridge 19 of the rim t, the cheek 13 at the same time holds the free bead 2 of the crown 1?, against the head 2 of the other crown. I

()n the opposite face is arranged a cheek 20 protecting the other crown l and riveted to the rim l. 1

The section of the crowns 1, l forms heads 2, 2" like the heads 2. 2. the peripheral portion being more active than the central portion in the. direction oi resiliency.

Valve 10 consists of two elements oil rectano'ular'shape and screw-threaded 21. E32 "'16 diameter each solrilered toa tubular elbowZ-S. The el -nent 21 comprises the alve proper ind its coi'er 24- while the ele- I directly a tached to the r her by the 1 i h vmg' the form of collar one extremity.

This nut 25' and the part of the valve are lodoed in recess or space 11 provided in the beads it. 2. Valve 10 is held on the rimv 4.- hv a nut which tightens the latter by the intermediary of a rubber washer 27.

The rim 4- is assembled with the hub by the spokes 6, in two parts; the ends 28, 29 are screw threads, one with right hand thread and the other with left hand thread and a nut 30 enables the spokes to be adjusted.

:Once properly adjusted the nut or union 30 is rendered fast by lock nuts 31, This particular arrangement avoids the neeess l Y of forming; threaded housings on the rim {l for the adjustment of each spoke as is usual by the use of a threaded nipple.

The external spokes of lhe wheel are lined to cars 33 formed in one with the rinr-l which lightens the latter.

The rim, 3 fitted with hooks 7, 7 carries a tread surface or band Set of pure rubberiar similar materialwhich is si'nooth and homogeneous in. the case oi. the front wheel but is made of the noirQklding pattern tor the rear l'iyporoons oil i able material st V .ng up in reli' crurved inwardly slightly harder rubber alternating with strips 36- whi h are .1 .c: 1v shorter. and or sort ruober or caoutchouc. These blades and strips rest on .a portion 37 which is fixed to the rim and made ol "lard caoutohouc. T he curved profile of: tie blades which stand up in r-e-liei their narrowness and their alternate disposition 'lacilitate their transrersal or vertical delm'mation. The upstai'idingr snrz: cool as a result oi the deep re-c I by the hand and counteract t tl'icreo'l? during the running.

rd hands it which are steul'er protect the tread laterally side shocks.

The whole. first hvi'h-aulicall pressed to nether and combined 'lih an amalgam flu is subsequently \"iilrnn1...e l to term a homogenouslz loclr.

After complete lamination ot' the parts initially titted togctl'ior. the arragnement will conserve always antiskiddingeffect, the wear oi? the supple portions being more rapid than the hard parts. in all cases it will be possible to completely wear down the treads as smooth for the front wheels.

. The lateral. checks 90 form around the shock absorber a ponron limited on each side of the rim by a flexible undulatcd crown 35) of steel soldered to the rim and engaging;

cheel; in an approo t hottoin oi' whil i p 41 -itt l other end r. spring head-piece 50 against stop 51 provided OIL the rim 3 while the part 18 rests against the extremity of the cheel' 20.

The mounting of the wheel is ell'ected in the following manner;

The emergency keys do are lirst placed as in Fig 5, the beads 2 and 2 oi the internal crown 1 beingthen inserted by hand in the curved portions 7 of the rim 3 and curved part 8 of the rim l, then the bead E2 of the external crown is introduced into the edge 7 ol the rim 3, the beads are marked to correspond with a mark on the rim so that the opening provided in the beads for the passage 01" the valve corresponds to the open ing in the other crown. The heads 2, 2 and parts 12 are placed in position taking care to turn down the leather bands on part 12 which are provided for this purpose; next the air chamber, slightly inflated, is placed in position and then the last head 2 against its corresponding bead. At this stage there is only left to place cheek '13 in position and to tighten the nut 18 so that the two edges ot the cheek are drawn together and the base oi the same slides on thepart 19 thereby tightening head 2 against the correspondinghead 2 to securely hold the 'meuinatic shock absorber or butter.

The complete mounting oi? the crowns is e'li'ected without employing any lever capable of damaging the chambers which on the other hand stand no risk of being nipped beneath the beads.

The air chamber is then inflated to a higher degree than normally used so as to press tightly between the heads 2, 2 the block pieces 12; after this the pressure is brought down again to normal. the heads being then secured firmly in place. Should the tire burst or become deflated it is possible to continue the journey at a comparatively reduced speed by employing: en'i'ergency keys which enable the rims and checks to be held at the necessary distance apart and thereby also the hub itself, the carrying along of the parts being ensured by the crowns 1, i" so that solid rim wheel is obtained ha ii suiflcient elasticity for the time being",

Having now particularly described and ined the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-- formed I declare that what I claim is 2- 1. In a wheel, a rim, an auxiliary rim. se-

sured to the hub a pair of substantially semi-tubular flexible crown members between and secured. to said rim and auxiliary rim, and having their outer peripheral portions spaced apart, an inflatable inner tube between said crown members, and a block member in the space between the outer peripheral portions of the crown members and pressed and held in place by the inner tube when the latter is inflated.

In a wheel, a rim having clincher flanges on its inner periphery, an auxiliary rim secured to the hub, a pair of substantially semi-tubular flexible crown members between said rims and having their outer peripheral portions spaced apart and provided with beads engagingthe said clincher flanges, an inflatable inner tube between said crown members, and a block member in the space between the outer peripheral portions of the crown members and pressed and held in place by the inner tube when the latter is inflated.

3. In a wheel, a rim, an auxiliary rim secured to the hub, a pair of substantially semitulmlar flexible crown members between and. detachably secured to said rims, cheek inen'ibers on the outer sides of the crown members, one secured to the auxiliary rim iiulependently oi the corresponding crown member and the other havin separable ends and being detachably engage both with the auxiliary rim and the hub of the corresponding crown member, and means to secure the outer peripheral portions of said cheek member,

11. A resilient wheel with pneumatic butler characterized by; en'lergency locks which tlacilitate the mounting and dismounting of the crowns and further in case of accident to the pneumatic bufl'er. enable the journey to be completed at relatively reduced speed by running on the used solid tread; the loclcs eomprisins two stems fitted with appropriate bear rranged on the cheeks and be eath the external rim and provided with ht and left hand crew thi A (ls assembled nut with sim lar crew threads.

hereunto af- "Witness i Jr-ms. P. .Prnssnr. 

